Nearby: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Sandy Point

Last July, a few weeks before I visited Ohiopyle, I explored the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Sandy Point State Reservation on Plum Island. The island is about an hour's drive north of Boston just beside the quaint town of Newburyport, one of my favorite towns on the North Shore.  On my first visit to Newburyport, I passed the sign to Plum Island only because I did not have sufficient time to explore it properly. So I returned a couple months in the height of the summer, when it was flocked by not only birds, but beach-goers and the like. Situated along the Atlantic Flyway, the Parker River Wildlife Refuge's most important visitor is the migratory bird, of whom this refuge was established for in the 1940s.  It's a place of multiple habitats including salt marsh, forest and sandy beach. The latter was by far the most popular destination when my mother and I visited, but it was the paths we found in Sandy Point Reservation, found on the tip of the island, that were the most enjoyable for us. The good weather prompted by abundant sunshine allowed us to enjoy the island to the utmost as a nearby escape from Boston. Though I imagine both sites offer a different type of allure on a damp day when its features are hidden by fog. This morning Boston endured the presence of snow yet again, and I think we will take any type of weather at this point, besides the cold. Fog and rain would be infinitely better, though we'll hope for blue skies like the ones from last summer found on Plum Island. 

Nearby: Coggeshall Farm Museum

It seems surprising now, but I went to Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol nearly three months ago. I suppose that is how one can measure the swiftness of summer, upon realization that the glorious month of May is already three months past. Our New England bounty of oak and maple had already opened their leaf buds, and though our minds could easily refer to the brutal hardships of winter, the land was once more renewed. That renewal was in plain view for us at Coggeshall, a small yet quaint farm museum in coastal Rhode Island. The place doesn't boast too many structures, but there are plenty of animals, and what's more than that, plenty of workshops to enjoy both. I went to their annual sheep-shearing festival, which made for a great visit, but they also have workshops that focus on hearth cooking, backyard poultry, as well as seed collecting. Each Saturday they host a "breakfast in the barnyard" and in late September they'll have an annual harvest fair. As always, it was wonderful to get out of the city and onto a farm and Coggeshall easily afforded me that opportunity. 

Nearby: Oldies Marketplace in Newburyport

When my mother came to visit a few weeks ago, I chose to take her to the little town on the North Shore that has recently taken my fancy: Newburyport. I took her so she  could see the lovingly restored homes of 17th and 18th centuries and the quiet beauty of its town center, composed of wonderful shops that few Bostonians strangely never seem to mention.  

One such shop, which proudly announces itself with its wild storefront and creative facade, is located on the rear of Water Street and goes by the name of "Oldies Marketplace." 

And what a place it is!

 We did not prepare to spend the better part of an hour there, but would have had it no other way-for there was too much to see and consider - too many objects to momentarily hold in our hands while questioning their possible place in our decorative lives. 

I left with a pewter creamery; my mother with a nautical print to give as a gift. 

The best thing about Oldies Marketplace is its size and its inviting layout. Naturally, one can easily find the good and the bad in places like these. But unlike other similar stores, Oldies effortlessly creates the desire in the visitor to stay and search. One is neither overwhelmed by the array of items available nor the dust that they may carry-one is only enthralled. 

And pretty soon, you have spent an hour collecting treasures you never expected to find in the old shipping center of Newburyport. 

Nearby: Georges Island

I had high hopes of a June filled with entries of my small explorations.  Alas! 
July arrives on Tuesday and I'm waving goodbye to June of 2014 without the pleasure of truly knowing it. But there were at least a few adventures I was lucky enough to experience, some of which I shall try to write of in the coming weeks and the rest that I'll remember only in my mind. 

I met Georges Island on the first weekend of the month. One of the harbor boats led me there from the wharf and in an hour I found myself seeing Fort Warren for the first time. 
Named for the Boston revolutionary Dr. Joseph Warren, it was built in the mid-19th century and is known today for it's significance during the Civil War. This is where imprisoned Confederate soldiers and political prisoners, such as Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens learned of the cruel New England winter for the first time. They could direct their gazes towards the untouched city of Boston and they could long for their own homes. But this fort became their Northern home in a way, and I could wander silently through it, with only the sound of nearby families exploring at their own pace (faster or slower depending on the courage of the children). The walls are splattered with the memories of the past 150 years, memories of those who dwelt within its rooms along with the ones who have since visited them. A dark quiet lingers throughout the insides of the fort where shadows seem to reign.

But then there are the ramparts and the green pathways that cover the dark rooms and they are all beauty, as if they are rooftop gardens dating from the Civil War. 
Prisoners could take their walks and look out to the sea, to either think of places like Shiloh and Antietam and Fredericksburg or choose to forget about them entirely. As I walked, I thought of ghosts, like the Lady in Black, who is said to still haunt the Fort. 
Yet, it was a perfect June day, dominated by sunshine and blue skies, and I could only feel invigorated to be there and happy the fort still stands, to impart knowledge to anyone who is curious enough to accept it. 

Nearby: The Rooms of Blithewold Mansion

In New England, Blithewold is known for its gardens, and for good reason. Their beauty  covers 33 acres of land, much of which faces the calm Narragansett Bay. There are rock and water gardens, a rose garden and enclosed garden, and even a lover's lane. Like Tower Hill Botanic Garden, each spring promises an enchanted display of daffodils, and Blithewold always celebrates their arrival. But when I went, it was the rooms I adored.  These were my favorite out of the forty-five rooms the mansion holds, a mansion that was built not once but twice at the turn of the century (the original was destroyed by fire and luckily, the fire was so slow burning that most of the furniture could be saved). Blithewold, meaning "happy woodland" was the summer home of the prestigious Van Wickle family, who had made their money in Pennsylvania coal. Instead of Newport, they chose this wonderful spot in Bristol and hired a Boston architectural firm to build their home by the bay, in the English country manor style. Even inside, one is always reminded of the great outdoors beyond, for the place is filled with an abundance of light and views of the sea. Not surprisingly, Blithewold is a favorite wedding venue and in fact, one was in the works as my friend and I left.  Tourists race to Newport to see the mansions, but Blithewold is just as worthy for a visit, not only for its magnificent grounds, but also for the rooms that overlook them. 

Nearby: Tendercrop Farms

Like many wonderful things on the North Shore, Tendercrop Farms was a complete surprise. A missed turn in Newbury led me straight down High Road to the bustling Tendercrop,  a place as busy as it could be on a late Sunday morning and a cloudless sky.  Children laughed as they said their hellos to the farm animals; gardeners sighed when they saw the beautiful collection of plants and flowers on sale; and I smiled widely as soon as I beheld the great bounty of food waiting for me inside (naturally, the dried flowers hanging from the rafters were a perfect added touch). Tendercrop Farms sells much of its own produce and meat and I was sure to take home a healthy helping of each. The taste of the sausage alone would be enough to bring me back. I often struggle with the ethics of being a carnivore, but this sausage may have been the best I've ever had. What a difference! In addition to sausage, they offer their own chicken, turkey, and steak, along with the normal assortment of produce offerings: strawberries, blueberries, apples, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, garlic, herbs, carrots-and the list trails on. It's a special spot, and one that I wish were so much closer to Boston. It's about an hour's drive, but one that's well worth the journey. 

Nearby: Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Early May is the time of the forsythia and daffodil, when the color yellow reigns over the New England landscape. At Tower Hill Botanic Garden in nearby Boylston, you can find both in abundance, though the woodland trees are still bare against the spring sky. It's an hour's drive west from Boston, and the daffodil field, containing 25,000 bulbs, is worth every minute of it. It was like a dream, even with clouds threatening rain. 

There is an apple orchard, numerous gardens, and two very romantic greenhouses, including an Orangerie and Lemon House, better known to those with green thumbs as a "Limonaia." From the highest point, one can see Wachusett Reservoir in the distance. This is a place of not only quiet, introspective walks like the one I had myself, but also of weddings and flower shows and concerts.  Even yoga. 

Then there are the woods. The trails are wonderfully maintained (no doubt due to the high entry fee), with an intriguing mix of classical elements, including various sculptures and shrines like the "Folly" or the "Temple of Peace." It was cold when I went, but I lingered in the "Inner Park" and beside the mossy steps, wishing I had brought along Edith Hamilton's Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Instead, I delightfully studied the little fairy houses along the pathways, constructed in honor of Sibylle Olfers Story of the Root Children -a very nice surprise.  Go to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to chase the whimsical, but also to embrace the color of the season. Go to seek the daffodil.